A little more about me

Learn a little more about what makes me tick, my likes and dislikes and some fun facts!

Welcome to my page! I imagine you're an employer here to learn a little more about me, but if you're just a curious reader, welcome anyway! I honestly consider myself an open book so hopefully, you like what you read. I should probably warn you that I have a big personality and I tend to use a lot of exclamation points when writing in my own voice. That in itself might be telling enough.

"When I first met you, I knew you were someone that was going to be unforgettable in the best way."

One of the best compliments I've ever received and probably the only one I'll ever brag about was when a coworker told me I was unforgettable. She said that I was so friendly and welcoming, so warm and funny, that she knew I would be someone she would always remember. I like for people to be at ease around me and know that I'm there to support them, whether in a professional setting or personal.

Something else I've been told that speaks to my character is the fact that I worked three jobs while putting myself through college, not to mention held down an internship my senior year. In my mind, I was doing what I had to. My mother had a tremendous amount of debt when she died and I knew I never wanted to be in that position. I went as long as I could without taking out any student loans and unfortunately, that meant working in all of my spare time. I started my own bartending company, which I include in that count of three jobs, and it was a huge help because I had control of my own schedule and bartending events is a very lucrative business. I still worked full-time at Carino's Italian and also bartended at the Austin Convention Center and Palmer Events Center.

My beginnings

I won't take you all the way back to that fateful day when the doctor said, "It's a girl!" but I will tell you that writing has been a big part of my life since the beginning. My mother wrote short stories and was very talented. She definitely passed down her love for writing. As a kid, I kept journals and always passed notes in school, as most children do. But I always made my daily updates to my friends sound like stories, wanting them to really visualize every detail, from me walking to my locker to the way my crush looked at me (because making eye contact totally meant he was in love with me!)

What am I currently up to?

As you'll see from my writing samples, I love to cover all kinds of content. While working for Clapway, I did a fun little series on the constellations, covering each one's origin and tale. I also covered a few news stories regarding El Niño, the FDA and Austin’s International "House of Songs," which was actually picked up by LCMedia and used as their press release. That was neat.

Eventually, I would love to cover more things I'm passionate about, like lifestyle, travel and food, but I love getting the experience to write about things I'm unfamiliar with because it gives me a chance to learn something new. I love to learn. I've been fortunate enough to have had diverse clients throughout my freelance career affording me the opportunity to perfect my skills and to continue learning how to be a better voice.

Some fun facts

It's hard for me to talk about myself, as I'm sure you've picked up from this post. I love to talk about fun things, like the fact that I homebrew beer, or that I'm fluent in American Sign Language, but it's hard to brag about things that I know deserve the attention, like my work ethic. I'm proud that I work as hard as I do, but I hate for it to come across as bragging. So here are some other fun things: I'm an amateur baker, I'm a certified yoga instructor, I love a good Moscow Mule and I can't say no to an adorable dog face. (I have four giant labs at home who get away with murder...yes, FOUR. Don't ask me what I was thinking.) While working for Clapway, we did a short web series of news recaps, the stories that got the most traction on the site, and I really enjoyed being in front of the camera. I do tend to be a ham.

I'll tell you a fun story about my childhood and then I'll sign off! My dad loves to recount when we went to Las Vegas when I was about 2. We stopped at some diner and they were playing Elvis, so I climbed up on the table and started dancing. He loves to remind me that the whole place roared with laughter and applause. I don't know how true that last part is, and I definitely don't dance on tables anymore (that ended where it began) but I have always loved to dance and to make people laugh. That continues to stick with me.

Thanks for hanging in there through all that! I hope you got a little more insight into who I am and I hope I haven't scared you off! :)